Kurt Kitayama leads AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as the worst of the wind looms

The 2022 edition of The American Express has put the fun back in function. After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, amateurs are again in play in La Quinta, California. La Quinta Country Club also returns after giving way to the PGA WEST’s Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Courses in last year’s adjustment. For other details of the format, the tracks and other information, continue reading beneath the projected contenders. Tournament host Phil Mickelson, defending champion Si Woo Kim, Sony Open in Hawaii runner-up Russell Henley and Rickie Fowler will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Back at full strength across the board in the Coachella Valley, The American Express hosts its usual 156 golfers on three courses. Every entrant gets one loop around each before the 54-hole cut of low 65 and ties. All who survive are treated to a second spin on the Stadium Course in the final round. Save an 11-yard increase on the par-4 10th hole on the Stadium Course and a reduction of 34 yards on the par-4 first hole on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, the triumvirate of stock par 72s tests the same as the last time each was prepared for the tournament, and that comes with a reminder. Because amateurs were omitted from last year’s edition, a logical consideration was that both courses at PGA WEST could be set up to be more challenging than how they are presented customarily. In terms of scoring, that’s how it shook out as the Stadium Course (70.809) was nearly a half-stroke harder than its average in 2020, while “Nick Tourney” (70.949) checked in more than one-and-a-half strokes higher. While both have landed at similar scoring averages in recent years and Si Woo Kim’s 23-under 265 was in line with tradition, the field could be in store for a regularly tougher Nick Tourney from now on. The 2021 staging was devoid the easiest par 72 of the previous four PGA TOUR seasons as La Quinta CC is the pushover of the trio. It had been followed closely by Nick Tourney, but the latter figures to remain more difficult because this is the second year since its greens were enlarged significantly and replaced with TifEagle bermuda. So, it again could challenge the Stadium Course as the toughest even though the host annually ranks as the hardest of the set, and that includes final rounds that haven’t spiked scoring. All greens are prepped to run no longer than 11 feet on the Stimpmeter. As usual, to retain fairness, hole locations for the second and third rounds will remain in close proximity to positions in the first. ShotLink is used only on the Stadium Course, so all Strokes Gained data and measurements apply only to it. The proverbial dome of the desert is forecast to remain closed except for Saturday when winds out of the north will persist. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Ranking * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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CROMWELL, Conn. – Notes and observations from Saturday’s third round of the Travelers Championship, where Jordan Spieth birdied three of his last four holes to shoot 66 and keep the lead. Boo Weekley had a 5-under 65 to reach 11 under, a shot back, while Daniel Berger (66) came in at 9 under, in solo third as he aims for his second win in the last three weeks. For more coverage from TPC River Highlands, click here for the Daily Wrap-up. SPIETH LEANS ON PAR SAVES Jordan Spieth made three birdies in the last four holes to maintain the solo lead for the third straight day in this, his first career start at the Travelers Championship. Still, what stood out to him were two par saves. He missed the green right at the 490-yard, par-4 fourth hole, but got up and down with a chip and a tap-in par. At the 227-yard, par-3 fifth, Spieth splashed out of the right greenside bunker and made a 16-foot putt. He didn’t even need to putt at the sixth hole, chipping in for birdie from 28 feet. “I thought those two up-and-downs along with obviously the chip in on 6 were massive,â€� Spieth said. “I very well should have been 2-over through six holes and I was 1-under. “So, I stole some there around the greens, which is what I’ve been looking to do when something gets a little bit off elsewhere. It was really nice to see, through there, to gather that momentum and kind of calm down and get into the round.â€� Much as he was throughout his Player of the Year season in 2015, Spieth was lethal around the greens Saturday. He hit just 10 greens in regulation, his lowest total of the week, but was 3-for-3 in sand saves, and took 24 putts. Not surprisingly, he’s leading the field in strokes gained: around the green for the week, but he’s also first in strokes gained: tee-to-green. That’s a tough combination to beat. Should he win Sunday, it would mark his first wire-to-wire victory since the 2015 Masters, and his 10th title on the PGA TOUR at just 23 years old. CALL OF THE DAY WEEKLEY BACK IN THE SWING Jordan Spieth hadn’t met with the media in 24 hours. Boo Weekley hadn’t met with the media in — well, he couldn’t remember how long. “A lot of faces in here I ain’t seen in a while,â€� he said as he sat down after his round, in which he fired a back-nine 30 to play his way into the final twosome with Spieth on Sunday. Weekley has three TOUR victories, but hasn’t won since the 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. At 43, he could have been excused if he thought his best golf was behind him, especially since he came into this week at 193rd in the FedExCup standings. His best finish all season? Well, that would have been his thrilling tie for 37th place at the Puerto Rico Open. But one good tournament can change everything, and Weekley has been back to his old self at TPC River Highlands thanks in part to a relatively new putter and left-hand-low stroke. The putter is an Odyssey that Matt Every had given up on at Colonial earlier this season, and that Weekley’s coach wound up with only to give it to Weekley. It’s working. Weekley made 128feet, 4’inches of putts Saturday, and was third in strokes gained: putting (3.261). Like Spieth, Weekley finished strong with birdies on three of the last four holes. “I change putters like I change underwear, man,â€� Weekley said before estimating he’s gone through about 20 different makes and models this season alone. Spieth smiled at the prospect of playing with Weekley on Sunday. “I hope I’m having as much fun each day as Boo’s having,â€� Spieth said. “I mean, he lives it up. It’s fun to be around Boo. He’s always very nice to everybody he sees, has some kind of a joke. If he’s had a couple pops, you barely understand him with his country accent. “He’s a guy everybody very much respects and really likes being around, and that’s fun, that’s fun to play with. He’s a really good ball striker who, a couple events that I’ve been involved in, in the heat of things, he shot very low numbers on Sundays. He’s not afraid to do so.â€� CASEY THRIVES WITH CADDIE SUB Paul Casey’s usual caddie, John McLaren, asked for this week off and Casey granted it. He also let McLaren pick who would caddie for Casey in his place, and the veteran McLaren, who is known for his long socks and high-top sneakers, picked Shannon Wallace. So far, so good. Casey, who lost to Bubba Watson in a playoff at the 2015 Travelers, shot 66 to get to 8 under, just four off Spieth’s lead. “Shannon’s perfect,â€� said Casey, who came into this week 27th in the FedExCup race.  “He’s been on the bag for Faldo and some guys. Maybe he hasn’t had the results he’s wanted as a caddie. And I love the fact that he’s channeled his inner Johnny Longsocks this week and turned up with long socks to try to make me feel better. “We failed to get him high tops,â€� Casey added. “That’s the only thing I’ve failed, on my behalf. I’ve known Shannon for a long time since we’ve been on TOUR. So, a good blend. We actually, worryingly for Johnny, we are working very well together.â€� WIND KEEPS PLAYERS ON THEIR TOES The wind gusted from 8-16 mph when it blew, but sometimes it stopped entirely. Paul Casey said Saturday was the toughest day so far. Keegan Bradley (66) called TPC River Highlands “a tricky little courseâ€� in the gusts. Boo Weekley admitted he was posing over approach shots only to watch them come up 10 yards short. “First time I’ve ever played here with the wind blowing this hard,â€� Weekley said. And those were the guys who played well.   “It’s tricky today—we have a north wind, which we haven’t seen all week here,â€� said Canadian David Hearn, who shot 66 to get to 7 under, five off the lead. “So it just makes — especially on the back nine, you get into those chutes and around those water hazards, and it just makes it a little tricky to pick your lines when you’re not used to this wind.â€� Players went off both tees in threesomes to accommodate a storm that dumped a modest amount of rain on TPC River Highlands overnight and Saturday morning. ODDS AND ENDS C.T. Pan, who played for Chinese Taipei in the Rio Olympics (T30) last summer but lives in Bellevue, Washington, took advantage of calm morning conditions for a bogey-free 64. He tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year, but is 88th in the FedExCup after missing 12 cuts in his last 17 starts. “This is my first year,â€� said Pan, who leads the field in scrambling (11/11). “I keep telling myself if you just keep knocking on the door, one day will be your day.â€� … Keegan Bradley (7 under), who is going for his first TOUR win since the 2012 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, made a 40-foot birdie putt at the fourth hole to kick-start his round. “That was a big putt,â€� said Bradley, who hit 16 greens in regulation for the second straight day. “Then I made a really good [12-foot] birdie putt on 13, a hole I needed to birdie. So a lot of good putts I holed today.â€� Bradley is 56th in the FedExCup standings, with his best result this season a T4 at the Farmers Insurance Open. … Daniel Berger, 12th in the FedExCup, erased a three-shot deficit as he successfully defended his FedEx St. Jude Classic title two weeks ago. His deficit going into Sunday? Three shots. “Couple weeks ago I was in the same position and got it done,â€� Berger said. “So obviously trying to run down Jordan’s going to be tough, but if I play well, I’ve got a chance.â€� …  Charley Hoffman, who took the outright lead after going eagle, birdie, birdie, went 4 over for his last three holes in a 68. He’s at 6 under, six shots behind. BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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Not every pairing is a perfect match

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